About | Architecture, Interior Design and Decoration

THE STUDIO

D. Hage Designs is a Sydney-based design studio founded by Dominique Hage in 2015. Dominique studied her Masters of Architecture in Sydney and worked as an Architect and Interior Designer across Europe and Australia before starting this practice back home.

We design homes—from architectural drawings to art curation and everything in between. Our experience crosses scale: sustainable beach houses, heritage mansions, classic Sydney terrace renovations, micro apartments.

The studio's work is romantic, but its approach is straightforward. We have a healthy respect for technical complexity and classical design rules. We also know when to step outside them.

our philosophy

Though every project is different, there are some consistent principles that our studio is known for.

Narrative-driven design

Your story embedded in the details: a trip you took, a memory you'd half forgotten, a feeling you wanted to hold onto; it’s about how you live and who you are.

A Little Much, Just Enough

Never derivative, never playing it safe. A small project doesn't mean small thinking.

COLLABORATION THAT RESPECTS your instincts

We ask questions and look at your space with fresh eyes, but you already know how you want to live. We're here to draw it out.

Homes That Grow

A home isn't a showroom. It's an encapsulation of where you've been, how you live, who you are—which is why we design contrast into every project. Your space should feel like you've been creating it over time, a living thing, not like it was finished all at once.

Same rigour, any scale

A 45-square-metre apartment deserves the same care as a sprawling mansion. Dream homes are less a matter of means, more a matter of being asked better questions.

Sustainability is not a STYLE

Our foremost belief in sustainability is designing homes that are enduring, timeless and flexible. As well as this, we employ passive design principles, innovative construction methods, and thoughtful consideration of materiality to integrate sustainable values into our projects.

what our clients say

Dominique took a house and made it into a home. She completely reimagined our space into something not only stylish but also practical and functional – a space that is an absolute delight to live in, and a wonderful reminder of our time in Japan. Her work makes an immediate impression, both modern and timeless, and is a gift to live in.

I love the feel that Dominique has created for us in this beach house. The hemp walls, the high ceilings, the timber, and the light from all the windows give an instant and simultaneous effect of shelter and warmth on one hand, and openness to the natural elements on the other.

Working with Dominique was a great experience. An accomplished architect with a great talent for interiors resulted in nominations for awards and many magazine articles. At once collaborative and clear in her choices, Dominique is a unique talent. I’m keen to work with her in the future.

Dom helped us transform our old Canberra house into a modern one while still retaining the charm of the original home. She asked informative questions to guide us on our renovation journey took and was engaged through the works, developing options that suited our needs (that of a young family), wants and budget. Dom’s assistance has significantly raised the value of our property. We loved working with Dom and will be quick to reach out for future works when they arise.

Dominique has worked on two of my properties (the most recent being late 2025) and prepared plans regarding renovations on our current home. She is fantastic to work with, a great communicator and we love the results.

01/05

working with us

Every project is different, and we offer a few different approaches to suit our clients needs.  In the last year our projects have ranged from $10,000 to $650,000.    Here are some different ways you can engage us:

01.1

Briefing Workshop

Getting to know you

The briefing workshop is where we begin, and it goes beyond the spatial. Favourite meals, drunken stories, Saturday morning rituals, cultural heritage, future dreams. This process lets us examine the broader needs of our clients and build a picture of them, resulting in designs that offer a deeper insight into their lives. The way we live is so unconsciously shaped by the spaces we have always lived in. Most of us have never had the chance to question it. Do you have a kitchen island because you love a kitchen island, or because you have always had one? The workshop builds a framework that frees us from the existing floor plan and identifies what to rethink, and what to keep. It also gives us the depth of knowledge to act on your behalf across the thousands of decisions a project demands. The more we understand how you actually live, the more precisely we can find the tile, the lamp, the material that reflects it.

01.2

Site Analysis & Feasibility

What are the site characteristics and constraints?

Every project begins with establishing its parameters. Council regulations, building codes, site conditions, natural light, proportion, existing architecture, key views, and budget. These factors define the boundaries of what is possible, and understanding them thoroughly is what allows the design process to move with intention.

01.3

Concept Design

Exploring all the possibilities for your space

From here, we combine the parameters with everything the workshop has revealed. The result is several schematic design options, each accompanied by moodboards, sketches, and themes that map the conceptual direction for the project. You take time to consider each one, and we move forward together with a chosen direction that resonates with you most. There is never a bad option in the bunch. The concept phase always begins in the same place: your dream home. We work across a vast range of budgets and project scales, from a considered restyle to a full renovation, and we start by asking what would best suit your life before working backwards to establish priorities. What will have the greatest impact, what can be deferred, what can be removed entirely. Our clients come to us needing a lifestyle improvement, not a purely spatial change. Ninety-nine percent of the time they are surprised by what actually moves the needle. A space that is purposefully suited to you, that invokes memory and feeling, that allows you to move and act with ease, is a different thing entirely to a space that has simply been updated. Our goal is to increase your joy in your space, not to replace your kitchen cabinets.

02.1

Developed Design

Finalising a layout that we love

This is the phase where we zoom in. The schematic design is cemented, any iterations confirmed, and the focus shifts to developing each room in depth. The overall plan is finalised here, along with the connections between spaces. We never design for homogeneity. A home should not feel like one continuous, matchy-matchy note — it should offer contrast, surprise, and a range of experiences. Somewhere to connect, somewhere to escape, somewhere to focus, somewhere to be loud. Each room is developed to offer something distinct, while still speaking to the others. The throughlines are there; they just do not announce themselves. This is also where selections are pinned down. Lighting, tapware, flooring, timbers, stones, tiles, and construction materials. Our experience spans everything from hemp and CLT to classic brick and timber, and we bring that breadth to every selection decision.

03.1

Definitive Design

We get council approval and builders estimates

This phase runs two tracks simultaneously: council approvals and contractor engagement. Our projects have spanned heritage-significant renovations through to new builds, and we have a strong network of consultants to support any approval pathway. Council restrictions rarely faze us — we find the creative solution in them. We always recommend bringing a contractor in at this stage, well before most people would expect to. Understanding costs, timelines, and construction approach early is not just practical; it protects the design. The builders and engineers we work with are experienced and deeply collaborative. A joiner or metalworker will often spot a small change that has a significant impact on cost or buildability, and that feedback is far more valuable captured here than discovered later. We always want to make sure this feedback is captured in any development application or council approval in order to prevent backtracking.

04.1

Contract Documentation

Where we draw exactly what will be built

This is where we zoom in on the final details. The look and feel of each space has been signed off, contractors are engaged, and now they need to know exactly what to build. Our documentation is extensive and deliberately unconventional — drawings, specification sheets, 3D renders, BIM models, physical samples, photographs — whatever will most accurately convey the design intent. This package forms the contract between the client and the builder, and getting there involves many rounds of revisions. We group sign-offs where we can to make the process as manageable as possible, but it is thorough work and takes the time it takes. Finalising specifications is also part of this phase, and we take it seriously. Physical samples of every material are sourced and held in the actual space — lights tested on site, paint panels assessed on the correct wall in the correct orientation. What reads well on a drawing and what reads well in a room are often two very different things, and we would rather find that out before anything is ordered.

05.1

Contract Admin

During Construction

This phase is typically billed at an hourly rate or on a retainer, as it runs for the duration of the build. We conduct site visits, manage revisions, sign off on cost variations, oversee the ordering of selections, and work through new construction details as they arise. Most of our projects involve existing buildings, which means there are always discoveries: concealed damage, a questionable previous renovation, services running where they should not be. We work through these with the contractors and keep our clients informed throughout. We are also there to ensure things are built to design. Miscommunications happen, mistakes happen, and no one knows the design as thoroughly as we do. Because every project, regardless of scale, is built on a strong concept developed in the early phases, we are always well placed to find a solution. That could mean a design revision, a substitution, or rethinking how something gets built entirely. A wall that is not straight, a veneer that has been discontinued, an oven that no longer fits the cavity are the realities of construction, and working through them is some of the most demanding and rewarding work we do. We continue with this until the contractor's work is complete.

06.1

Interior Decoration

Furniture, furnishings, and decoration.

We love to take on furniture, soft furnishings, interior planting, and art alongside the architectural and interior design of a project. Our approach is holistic, furniture layout is considered as part of the design from the beginning, and we are always looking for opportunities to bring loose objects into a space, the pieces that loosen things up, add comfort, playfulness, and a bit of spice. We source internationally across custom makers, auctions, affordable finds, and fine art. A house full of designer furniture has never been the goal. The best spaces tend to be a mix of high-end where it counts, affordable where it does not, and vintage where it adds character. Your home should feel like the things in it have been collected over time, because ideally, that is exactly what they are.